On The Fly: Giants Headed To Playoffs On Upbeat Note

Hope everybody had a safe and happy New Year's Eve and Day and everybody is able to keep their New Year's resolutions. Well, at least for a few days, anyway.

Sunday's game didn't mean anything for the Giants, but they wanted momentum going into the playoffs and they got it with a 19-10 victory over the Redskins. With the score tied at 10 with 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Robbie Gould kicked a 40-yard field goal to put the Giants up for good and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie picked off a Kirk Cousins pass to seal the win. With the loss, the Redskins are out of the playoffs.

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Tony Romo, quite possibly the most-talked-about NFL player who has played the least this season, got into a football game for the first time since Aug. 25 when he injured his back. Romo, who was replaced by rookie sensation Dak Prescott, came in to play one series in the second quarter in Dallas' 27-13 loss to the Eagles Sunday and was 3-for-4 for 29 yards and a touchdown. Romo, who only played in four games last season after breaking his collarbone twice, hadn't played in a regular season game since Nov. 26, 2015.

The Patriots got home-field advantage with a 35-14 win over the Dolphins. If the Dolphins beat the Steelers, they'll have to play New England again in the playoffs the weekend of Jan 14-15. "Can't wait," Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry told The Associated Press.

Jorge Alves, the Carolina Hurricanes' equipment manager, got to play the final 7.6 seconds of the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday night after signing a professional tryout contract to replace backup goalie Eddie Lack. The Hurricanes lost 3-1 and Alves did not see a shot. "It's special, it's unbelievable," Alves told The Associated Press. Alves played in the ECHL and in the Southern Professional Hockey League and practices with the team. Wearing his No. 40 uniform – he got to skate with the team in warmups – he was shown on Twitter sharpening skates and taping sticks during the game.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. got married on New Year's Eve to longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann with many NASCAR stars in attendance and who else but Danica Patrick caught the bouquet. Earnhardt Jr. tweeted last week: "Told @Amy_Reimann the best way I could describe it. 'Next Saturday is the Daytona 500 and I already know I'm going to win it."

Celebrated Olympians Janet Evans, Allyson Felix and Greg Louganis will serve as grand marshals for the Rose Parade Monday before the Rose Bowl in an effort to highlight Los Angeles' bid to secure the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Los Angeles is vying with Paris and Budapest, Hungary for the Games. The host city will be voted on by the IOC in September.

No. 88 in a row for the UConn women with an 84-48 win over the University of Central Florida Sunday. Wins over the next two opponents, East Carolina and South Florida, would tie the Huskies' record of 90.